FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT PEPPERMINT - PAGE 2

Pez Candy Inc. doesn't want to be just for children any more. The Orange, Conn.-based company is targeting grownups by reintroducing peppermint candies and offering dispensers without Pez's trademark heads. "We got thousands of letters from adults saying `Make something for us,' " said chief executive Scott McWhinnie. "We're going to make thousands of former Pez users very happy." McWhinnie was touting the new Pez at the semiannual candy exposition in Anaheim, sponsored by the American Wholesale Marketers Association, and buyers for stores from around the world were impressed.

GoSMILE has launched a morning and nighttime toothpaste line, the latest tool for a great smile. The a.m. formula contains citrus oils and peppermint for a caffeine-free pick-me-up; the p.m. formula has lavender, chamomile and vanilla to calm before bedtime. ---------- Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)

If you're looking for lipstick made from ingredients as pure as its color is brilliant, try this new line of natural lip colors by Kiss My Face. The lipsticks are made from plant oils, plus vitamins A and E. Spearmint and peppermint oils make them taste good, too. They're available in health-food stores for $8, or for $11 with shipping by calling 800-262-KISS.

Get centered this Valentine's Day with last-minute spa gifts from fill-r-up.com. They include the Yoga Zone Basket ($102, above), which comes with a power yoga DVD, yoga candle and headband. For apres-workout, the set also includes ginger body lotion and power scrub. Follow it all up with peppermint eye gel discs, moisture socks for tired toes and soft spa slippers. The site offers overnight delivery too.

Q. The drain and I have a problem for the plumber. The drain looks like it's cast iron, and it runs from the bathtub and toilet to the basement then to the street sewer. The pipe between the basement ceiling and the basement floor has pinpoint leaks and sewerage seeps out and discolors the pipe. What is on the market to repair or replace this pipe? Melvin Ricchio, Harvey A. It sounds like you've got pin holes in the cast-iron main stack, said Dave Soltwisch, of Dave Soltwisch Plumbing Inc. in Hinsdale.

Invent an item filling a practical need, but spend no more than $5 for materials. The 300 6th graders at Glen Crest Middle School in Glen Ellyn were given that assignment by teachers Denise Olton and Robert Edwards to hone their analytical thinking skills. Glen Crest is displaying in its library a vast array of new products developed by 10- and 11-year-old pupils at its seventh annual Invention Convention, featuring such items as an aromatic computer mousepad, a dog backpack and a very timely combination snow shovel and salt spreader.

Taste of Italy We loved Chicago-based Isola Imports' preserves from Italy's Abruzzo region. Our favorite was the tart-sweet Sicilian orange with liqueur, but wild berry with liqueur and strawberry balsamic also had their fans. Each 12.35-ounce jar costs $4.60-$6 at The Chalet Wine and Cheese, Valli Produce in Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg and Schaefer's in Skokie (strawberry only); by mail, go online to isolaimports.com. Seasonal scoops Edy's Slow Churned Light limited-edition peppermint- and eggnog-flavored ice cream arrive in time for the holidays.

Flavor helpers Whether you're looking to perk up your coffee or enhance your next cake recipe, Nielsen Massey has pure extracts that are up to the task. Try one of their many flavors, such as almond, chocolate and peppermint. About $9.99 for a 2-ounce bottle at kitchenkapers.com. See nielsenmassey.com for other retail locations. Dairy free fun College student Kelly Peloza offers vegans with a hankering for baked goods 140 recipes to pick from in "The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur" cookbook ($17.

Your head's pounding, your stomach's queasy, and we're not even going near your skanky breath. This can mean just one thing--you had one heck of a party. We're all probably going to wake up tomorrow and swear off drinking (so much champagne . . . oh the pain!). But before you do anything rash, drink a lot of water, take some aspirin and rub a little balm on your temples. Huh? Natural beauty mecca Lush came up with a sweet new way to battle hangovers: Party On Temple Balm. Rub a little of this cream--made with a coffee infusion, peppermint oil, menthol oil, rosemary oil and fresh lemongrass--and clear your senses right up. The peppermint is a natural remedy for headaches, and the coffee will pull you out of your fetal position, ready to face a new year.